Sun and Moon
by MaelstromBankai
Summary: Things changed for the worse the instant Madara revived himself using Obito. Now, stranded in a world that fears change, unable to forget the horrors of that night, the last people of the Elemental Nations try and piece their lives back together. A chance encounter, overly paranoid gods and stubborn evils may get in their way, but they'll find means of dealing with those.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Prologue: A New Life**

* * *

He stared at the ceiling, his face blank and carved from stone. Even in the darkness of the night, his eyes perceived the world as clearly as it was during the day. He continued to just stare, to make no other motion than to watch the ceiling.

Moments passed in silence, and he continued to stare. His mind urged him to move, to prepare himself and his companion for the hurdles they were bound to face. A need to do something, to gather information, to check his body for any strange effects.

But he did nothing.

He continued to lie on the recently-made bed, staring at the ceiling of a stranger's house. Even if he wanted to, his subconscious kept him pinned there, remembering what had happened in the past few hours of his life.

Looking back, he should've known something was wrong with Sasuke's abrupt entry into the war on their side. After all, every encounter they had prior to that had clearly shown how much Sasuke wanted to destroy Konoha. He should've thought a bit more about the bizarre contrast he was showing, but he had been too overjoyed at Team 7 finally being back after so many years.

Granted, they were in the midst of war and needed all the help they could get against the two Uchiha and the Juubi, but he had foolishly, honestly believed that Sasuke had changed. He had thought Shikamaru and the others were being too paranoid.

Once again, hindsight was a bitch.

Things went downhill very quickly, very badly. Madara, whom everyone had prioritized before Obito, had surprised them all by calmly settling down on the battlefield, saying that he wasn't the biggest threat to them. Several shinobi and Kunoichi had tried to seal him, to take advantage of the moment, but he simply slaughtered them with his Susano'o, which had still been active.

Then Obito appeared.

He had known that Kakashi had been dealing with Obito in the other dimension, and seeing him appear had made him quite worried for his sensei, since Obito had arrived alone.

Then shit _really_ hit the fan.

Madara immediately used some unknown jutsu to force Obito to bring him back with the Rinne Tensei. The First Hokage and several others had tried to stop him, but a sudden attack from White Zetsu clones kept them occupied. Even his father, the fastest man in the world, had been unable to stop Madara's revival.

They had desperately clung to the hope that he could at least be killed; having discarded the immortal body and infinite chakra of the Edo Tensei, surely they had a chance now. They had the First, Second, Third and Fourth Hokage with them, all of whom were Edo Tensei constructs, meaning they had the advantage this time.

How utterly wrong they were.

What transpired was a massacre. A slaughter so inconceivable that even now, reliving those moments, he still couldn't believe what happened. Madara cut a path through everyone, dropping people like flies. It had been the most horrifying sight he had witnessed, watching his friends and comrades die in droves.

Things got even worse when Madara became the Juubi Jinchuuriki. Even though the Four Hokage tried their best, Madara managed to bring his plans to fruition by stealing the First's Sage chakra, which he put to devastating use.

Kurama and Gyuuki had been extracted and added to his already godlike chakra. He retrieved his Rinnegan back from Obito before having Zetsu take over his body.

Things got even stranger than that.

A movement from his side alerted him to his companion's awakening. She was slowly lifting herself up, though she seemed to lack perfect synchronicity with her body. Her lengthy dark blue hair fell over her face, crafting an image that immediately caught his attention. Lavender tinged white eyes stared at him, much more enchanting than he recalled them to be. A thin sheet covered her form, as he had needed to strip and heal her, which only highlighted her curvaceous figure.

He gave her a weak smile, something she returned. "Hinata…"

* * *

She woke up, her body feeling uncomfortably heavy and bloated. As she blinked away the last traces of sleep, her eyes honed in on the person lying next to her. For a terrible, chilling moment she didn't recognize his form. She froze, her heartbeat suddenly thundering in her ears.

Then, the moment passed. Recognition dispelled the fear, soothed her booming heartbeat to a calm lull. She blinked once, taking in the changes that had happened to him.

Blond, almost golden, spiky hair had been completely whitened, similar to what had happened to Obito. Under the moonlight, she had to admit that the silver locks made for a fetching sight. His whisker marks were still visible, something that she found herself grateful for. Even if it was a small feature, it was still one that made him unique and she didn't think she could bear it if he lost that small sense of self the whiskers gave him.

His clothing was tattered, revealing most of his upper body and legs. The revealed flesh was noticeably more muscular and chiseled than she remembered, yet lean and compact. Strangely, even though the sight of him in this state should've made her feel embarrassed, she didn't experience the usual reaction this time. No, if anything she was…somewhat interested.

Shaking the strange thoughts from the forefront of her mind, she slowly began to rise up. Her body, which still hadn't felt right, was slow and awkwardly unresponsive to her commands. Each part of her was just too heavy to properly move, like when she focused too much chakra to her limbs.

Like she thought, her movements caught his attention and he turned to face her. She resisted the flinch her body had almost made, staring right into the eyes that the Rabbit Goddess wielded. They shone with a menacing light, the nine tome surrounding the concentric circles creating an almost demonic appearance. Even though she believed their current wielder would never commit atrocities like Kaguya had, seeing those eyes still made her wary.

"Hinata…"

She tried to smile at him, but her lips twisted into something else. Trying once again, she managed to properly raise herself from the bed, only for the bed sheet covering her body to recede. As she felt the cool breeze on her naked skin, she paused and glanced downwards.

Like she thought, her upper body was bare to his gaze. Absently, she noted that her breasts were bigger than before. When the moment registered, she expected the powerful burst of embarrassment that would cause her to faint.

However, that never happened. Again, she felt strangely curious and nonchalant about the fact that the person she loved was getting an unobscured view of her naked chest.

"Um…sorry about that." She looked back to Naruto, who had gone back to staring at the ceiling, "I had to heal your wounds, and your clothes kinda got in the way so I took them off." He glanced over quickly, allowing her to catch the trace amounts of pink on his cheeks, "I didn't do anything else, I swear."

She smiled at that, another little action that solidified her belief that he hadn't drastically changed from the Naruto she knew. "It's alright, I know you wouldn't do something like that." Awkwardly wrapping the sheet around herself, she frowned thoughtfully. "Um, where are we?"

Naruto rose from the bed, sitting with his back still facing Hinata. He scratched his head as he answered, "Well, I'm not too sure myself. When I woke up, this house was the closest one to us so I decided to break in and heal you. I haven't met anyone in the house yet, so I doubt we'll have to leave just yet."

Her frown persisted as she glanced out of the closest window. The environment she saw was radically different from that of Konoha or any of the Hidden Villages. She watched, confused as lights in the distance continued to come and go at somewhat decent speeds.

This wasn't Konoha. Hell, this didn't resemble any region within the Elemental Nations, and she had the majority of them ingrained in her head since she was a child. Gathering chakra, albeit carefully since her chakra pathway system was being just as strange and awkward as her body, she activated her Byakugan to get a better view of their location.

Her first discovery was that she had activated her dōjutsu without the need of a handseal, almost instinctively in fact. Her second discovery was that the one weakness of the Byakugan, the blind spot, was not there. Third, she could see much farther than before. Her last discovery was that her chakra had changed.

It was greater, denser than before, but her chakra pathways hadn't finished growing to accommodate for the drastic increase in chakra capacity.

Naruto's chakra had also changed, even more drastically than hers had. She had always known that he had abnormally large reserves of chakra, but comparing his new reserves to back then was like comparing an ocean to a drop. His chakra, hidden deep within his very being, shone with an intensity that was blinding.

Yet, as she looked at the blinding sight, there was no discomfort in her eyes.

Interesting.

"Naruto-kun," he turned to face her, his new eyes focused on her, "it seems like we're no longer in the Elemental Nations anymore." She gestured to the view outside, "This world has no single speck of chakra for at least ten kilometers, something that would be an impossibility in the Elemental Nations. The humans here are even stranger; they don't have chakra, not even the amount necessary to live, but they are thriving."

Naruto frowned at that. Could there really be a world where chakra wasn't so integral to their lifestyles? His train of thought didn't go far before he heard Hinata gasp, an action that seemed louder than it should've been. "What is it?"

The veins around her temple bulged further, something he had never really caught unto before. "Certain areas of the land have some sort of mist concentrated there." She suddenly looked disbelieving, as though she had seen something really odd. "Um…what…I don't even…"

Naruto stood up and gazed out of the window, thankful that the darkness gave him cover. Unsure as to what he was supposed to be looking at, he decided to just pump chakra into his eyes and look in the same direction.

What he saw made him blink in shock.

A pack of huge, demonic canines prowled the streets, snarling and snapping at one another. They were about the size of a bear, though there were variations in size, and they had eerie, glowing red eyes. They walked through the crowd of busy humans, occasionally bumping into them with a growl or two, but the strange thing was that none of them even blinked at the creatures.

"This…what's going on? Why aren't any of them reacting to them?"

"Naruto-kun, I think that mist substance prevents them from noticing those creatures," Hinata mused. The sound of clothes ruffling made him turn around, just in time to see her slip on her mostly undamaged pants. Luckily her back was facing him, but he still felt his cheeks heat up.

As she pulled on her shirt, Hinata frowned as she felt the discomfort with her chest. She would have to obtain some new clothing soon. "Naruto-kun, what should we do? Should we stay here while gathering information, or would constant movement be the better plan?"

Glancing back at the pack and watching them disappear into the shadows, Naruto weighed his options. Staying in the area meant they would eventually come into contact with the owner of the house, which would force them to move anyway. Even if they could continue residing in the house without being discovered, it would still limit their movements to mere hours as opposed to if they were on the move.

On the other hand, they knew virtually nothing about the world they were in. Not only were they weaponless, penniless and physically different, but the language was more than likely something radically different and they would most likely just be roaming this new world like lost puppies. Still, they would at least be able to move freely, and they could always _liberate_ items for their needs…

A memory nudged at his mind, a whisper that urged him to listen.

His eyes hardened. They had to survive. No matter the cost. He had lost too much to let his beliefs get in the way of their survival. "Let's rest here for the night, then see what to do tomorrow morning."

* * *

In the vast expanse of space that the three of them resided, all sisters watched intently at thin golden thread that had suddenly detached itself from the interwoven collection of seven threads. The detached thread coiled about itself as a mysterious black flame encased it, though the thread did not catch flame.

The middle one, who currently had their shared eye, frowned. "This is troubling. One of the Seven's fate has become distorted, jumbled and foggy."

The one on her right spoke, her reedy voice dripping with interest, "Oh? Well now, that certainly hasn't happened in a while…"

The one with the eye reached towards the thread, eyeing the flames apprehensively. As her fingers neared it, she felt the heat increase dramatically and quickly retracted her digits before they could be consumed.

As she watched the flames recede, the eldest sister narrowed her eye. Plucking the eyeball out like it was a garment, she passed it to her sister. "Atropos, do me a favor and have this one killed by the end of the week."

Atropos, the being on her left, pursed her lips as she plucked the eye in the socket and stared at the strange phenomenon. "Understood, Clotho."

Fate was absolute. Unchanging. Ironclad. It would never bend to the demands of another.

* * *

**A/N: This is essentially the prototype to 'The Other Transcendent', but with very unique differences. Still hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Now, while part of my reason for having Hinata around is because of the NaruHina goodness that's been going on for a while, Hinata does have an important role to play in this fic. Those who don't like this, I can understand if you decide not to continue reading…but please be polite about it.**

**Naruto is no son of any god/goddess and has no relation to them (except maybe Kaguya, who I will be developing quite a bit in this fic). Furthermore, I am convinced that Base Naruto (meaning the one in The Last) should be able to handle most of the Olympians. Add in Kurama Mode, and I can honestly see him kicking all their asses. So…no, I won't be nerfing him and I won't make the gods stronger than they are.**

**Also, apparently NaruHina was planned from the beginning, and all the Ship Tease with Sakura was a Red Herring. While I think the execution needed more work, I can definitely see it now that I look back. Go to the Tv Tropes Naruto Forum, the link is on one of the more recent pages.  
**

**Read and Review,**

**MaelstromBankai**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Naruto stared out the windows once again, this time keeping an eye out for anymore strange creatures that this new world had. He had moved out of the bedroom and climbed to the topmost floor, where he had settled in a relatively small room filled with clutter and some other old things. With the various street lights in the area, he wasn't quite comfortable with just heading to the roof for a better vantage point even if it was a sensible suggestion.

The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to themselves, especially in their current predicament.

What really caught his interest about the creatures they had seen earlier was the fact that they lived, essentially, in plain sight yet still managed to hide their existence from the people walking about. Hinata had suggested that the mist that permeated the area was what kept them unaware of the creatures, which he could see happening as of this moment.

Narrowing his eyes, he watched as a couple bumped into one of the smaller creatures and just give it a quick glance. As he continued watching, he noticed that the man had stooped a little to pet a pocket of air, roughly a head lower than the creature's actual head.

He rested his head in his palm, a strange calm settling over him. It was so strange; had he been who he once was, he would've already been in motion to try and get rid of the creature. He would've charged in recklessly, with no coherent or logical plan in his head, and would most likely only end up making things worse.

It honestly made him uncomfortable at the changes that were happening to him.

Glancing down at the mirror that he had found in the room, he stared at the image that looked at him. Kaguya's eyes stared back at him, eyes that conveyed the power and otherworldliness he had experienced when he first laid eyes on the Mother of Chakra. Even with the knowledge that they were now his, that they could be used for as much good as they had been used for destruction, those eyes still unnerved him greatly.

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he let out a small sigh. He had to find a way to keep his fatigue as far away as possible.

He hadn't slept a wink since they first arrived here. The first time he tried, he had experienced only a few minutes of peace before the memories started to play. The first ones were so graphic and horrible that he had immediately woken up, gasping and retching at the phantom sensation of being blasted apart by the Truth Seeking Balls used by Obito.

That was his second indication that something had happened to him, with the first being his new eyesight. He had seen, experienced, events from Jii-san's perspective with such vivid intensity that no dream of his ever gave him. He had smelt the stale air, the stench of blood from the dead, and the hopelessness that engulfed the army. He had felt the mind-blowing pain of having his upper body blown off by the less lethal form of the Truth-Seeking Balls. He had heard Hashirama's recollection of the struggles between the Uchiha and the Senju, as well as the tale of the epic battle between him and Madara.

Whatever it was he had experienced, it was no dream.

Focusing on the creatures once again, he wondered if he should go out and survey them from a closer distance. The house was roughly 40 meters away from their position, so he had to use his increased eyesight to keep track of them, but getting in closer would allow him to test out their abilities without getting caught…at least, he thought he wouldn't get caught. Plus, if he did get into a fight with those creatures, he'd be able to get a more comprehensible idea of their capabilities and weaknesses, something that would majorly benefit them.

His mind drifted to Hinata and he shook his head. No, he had already decided that they would stay the night here and start integrating themselves into the world the next morning. If she woke up and he wasn't around, she might try going out of the house to try and look for him, which would just waste their time.

While he could use a Kage Bunshin to go gather information on them, his chakra had changed and grown much larger and stronger. As such, he believed that his control had been shot to all hell and discretion was most important for their survival. It wouldn't do to have him accidentally summon a hundred or so clones and cause a scene.

Call it a hunch or whatnot, but he suspected that the denizens of this world would be more than eager to try and get their hands on chakra if Hinata and he were ever exposed.

So, without his go-to jutsu to help him out, he would just have to stay put and wait for the next morning. Which meant he was stuck in the small room with no means to pass the time other than waiting. Glancing out again, he noticed that the creatures had already moved away, meaning he couldn't even watch them to pass the time.

He wished he at least had somewhere he could practice his chakra control.

A thought struck his mind and he suddenly sat up. Actually, there _was_ something he could distract himself with. With a happy smile, Naruto headed back down the stairs to search for any possible flowers in the house.

* * *

In a plane of existence that transcended all others, the sole occupant of that level of existence frowned heavily. His aged hands gripped the black shakujo tightly, the only other indication of his increased frustration.

Floating atop a seat of Truth-Seeking Balls, his rippled purple eyes stared at the waters that covered the plane. As the rippled echoed along the surface, his old frowning visage was replaced by that of the current successor of Asura. As he saw the changes that had happened, his breath caught in his chest as he saw those dreaded eyes again.

It wasn't supposed to be like this…

He had always been told by Hamura that he was too optimistic and naïve when it came to people. Ever since he had proposed the idea of giving them chakra and teaching them ninshuu to make them understand one another, Hamura had been steadfast in his refusal to help him.

Hamura had always been the more cynical and hardline of the two. While he agreed that their mother's way of ensuring peace was wrong, he was also of the mind that people would need guidance and rules to truly have peaceful coexistence. In many ways, the Senju brother of Asura's previous successor resembled Hamura.

He hadn't listened, of course. Why didn't Hamura believe in them? They weren't like their Mother, and he was giving them the power to understand each other, to come closer and eventually forge a new era of peace in the lands. Why was he so insistent that it wouldn't work?

He had known that it would take more than one lifetime to usher in the New Age, so he had chosen Asura as his successor. He had believed that Asura's love would allow him to temper the powerful flames of Indra, and that they would work together to ensure peace would come to be.

Looking back, he almost couldn't believe that he had been so foolish.

Indra had lashed out, rejecting his brother's outstretched hand and turning his back on Asura. He had renounced his 'responsibilities', leaving his brother to always walk in their father's shadows. When he had first achieved this state and watched his sons, he hadn't believed it. He desperately clung to the hope that Indra was just upset at not being named his successor and that Asura would be able to talk some sense into him.

Later events showed that his hope was a dream. Indra had never wanted peace; he desired, lived for, thrived in battle. He was always at peace with himself during the motions of battle, always happy whenever he fought someone strong enough to challenge him. Looking back, he could remember Indra always frowning whenever he spoke of peace. Back then, he had believed his eldest was contemplating something else.

Indra had no desire to complete his father's dream. He had never wanted to establish peace in the lands. To him, a world of constant warring nations was the most desirable outcome.

Asura had pleaded with him. Begged him. Done everything he could to try and change Indra's mind. Indra then stabbed him in the heart, a cruel smile on his handsome features.

From that day onwards, they were no longer brothers.

Hamura had disappeared mysteriously, an event that had further facilitated the turn of events. Asura went on to spread his father's teachings to the people, trying to take his mind off his brother's deep betrayal. Indra had retreated into obscurity, which allowed Asura and his followers a decade to spread Ninshuu throughout the world. For a time, there was some progress.

Then Indra appeared once again, spreading his own teachings to the world with his family and followers. Instead of understanding others, they understood the power the Sage had granted them. They began to use this power within them to do all kinds of things, which attracted more people to Indra's cause. With this new power, they learned to kill more effectively, steal more efficiently, and fight more devastating wars amongst each other.

Ninjutsu came into existence, a perversion of the arts he had taught his eldest child.

That day, as Asura stared at the bloody remains of his youngest daughter, Indra's joyful laughter ringing throughout the land, was when the brothers became mortal enemies.

He had watched, horrified beyond belief, as the two sons of his began a long, bloody war against each other. Ninshuu became lost to the records of history, now regarded as a mere useless concept. As more and more people followed Indra's teachings, the more his own heart wept with grief.

He breathed out shakily, still feeling the acute pain of watching his efforts fall apart. Even as his mind regarded Indra bitterly, his heart still held love for his sons. As he watched the situation unravel even further, he cursed his helplessness. With his mighty chakra, there was no body suitable enough to house his spirit for more than a few years.

Worse, Indra and Asura's chakra had achieved the same state of enlightenment he had, though they did this by reincarnating into different people over the years.

The Uchiha and the Senju, descendants of Indra and Asura respectively, had been on the path of ending the bloody feud between his children. Two children, Hashirama and Madara, the latest successors, had started reaching out to one another, rapidly becoming friends. When he saw them, a small but strong hope arose; maybe they would be the ones to bring peace to their clans and, eventually, the world.

He had watched them grow. Watched as they fought, one reluctant and the other with resignation. Watched as they lost more members of their family, friends and loves. That small flame of hope had died down to little embers; it was a possibility, especially with Hashirama's constant attempts to persuade Madara, but he feared history would just repeat itself.

However, to his immense surprise, Madara agreed. The two leaders had come to peace, both weary of the constant fighting. Soon enough, Konohagakure came into being. He had hoped things would get better.

Alas, it was not to be. Before his death, Indra had left a tablet to his descendant, a tablet which carried an extensive record of his findings and theories. Madara, whose visual prowess rivalled Indra's, managed to read as much as his Sharingan could decipher and deserted the village he had dreamed of creating.

During their infamous fight at what later became known as the Valley of the End, Madara had come close to death. Using the opportunity granted to him, he had appeared before Indra's successor. He had tried to sway him off the path he had embarked on, to prevent him from going through with Indra's ideas.

He had failed. Once again, he wondered if his Mother was laughing at him, watching as his supposed 'better' means of peace brought about more conflict.

Madara escaped the clutches of the Shinigami through sheer force of will, allowing him to integrate Asura's chakra within himself. Several years later, he managed to awaken his own eyes. Using them, he had taken steps to do what he thought nigh impossible; become the next Juubi Jinchuuriki.

Now, as he searched fervently for the successor he had placed his hopes on, Hagoromo Otsutsuki wished his weary soul could just move on to the Pure World.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, Hinata noticed almost immediately that Naruto had disappeared from the bedroom. A second later, her Byakugan flared to life, activated by nothing more than a thought. The transition should've caught her off guard, made her disoriented at the abrupt change in vision…but that didn't come to be. Like a well-oiled machine, the action had been eerily smooth and instinctive, just like her father's.

Immediately, she saw that Naruto was only one floor above her. He was resting on a chair, with his hands drumming along the side of the wood. Even from her position, she could see the fatigue in his movements.

She frowned, deactivating her bloodline limit and rising to a seating position. By now, the uncomfortable feeling she had been experiencing was all but gone, which meant her chakra pathways were mostly done expanding. Furthermore, she was pleased to note that the awkward lack of control had also disappeared, which made getting dressed much easier.

Before she had fallen asleep, she had taken a look around in the wardrobe to find something comfortable to wear. Luckily, she had managed to find some underwear she could use, though she didn't find any really comfortable shirts to go with them. So she put on one of the smaller male shirts and her usual pants, which had survived mostly intact.

Heading out of the bedroom, she took the spiraling staircase to the next floor, wondering why anyone would want to be going up and down in a circle as opposed to just going normally.

She found Naruto pretty easily, since he was seated right at the door of the room. Even in the dim light of the early morning, she could tell that something was on his mind. "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

Her greeting brought him out of his thoughts, prompting him to smile back at her. She made a note of how tired he looked, something she rarely ever saw him as. "Good morning, Hinata. How was your sleep?"

She made a non-committal grunt in response, which surprised her again. She usually wasn't this rude in the morning. "What about you? Why didn't you try and rest throughout the night?"

He glanced at her in surprise, a look that she wasn't sure she could ever get used to. The Rinnesharingan just didn't mesh well with certain facial expressions, she guessed. "H-how could you tell?"

She couldn't deny that she was pleased he hadn't deflected the topic or tried to lie about it…at least, not yet. "I searched for you the minute I woke up. Even a civilian would be able to tell you've been staying awake this entire time, let alone another shinobi." She lowered herself to the floor, kneeling down in a formal seiza. She didn't make another word, understanding that she couldn't force him to open up to her but still willing to offer her support if he needed it.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his hand over his right eye. "Yeah, you could say that." He paused, feeling somewhat conflicted. Should he burden her with his troubles? He had always dealt with his issues by himself, and he didn't want to make Hinata worried about him.

The moment passed when he realized that he himself had no clue what was going on with his own body, whereas Hinata might have some idea what might be happening to him. Last he heard from Sakura, Baa-chan had been teaching as many people she could get who were interested in medical jutsu and Hinata had been one of those she had seen.

"Well…I'm not sure how to explain this," he scratched the back of his head, finding the ground suddenly more interesting to look at, "When I slept, I kept…seeing things. Memories, I guess."

Hinata frowned thoughtfully, "What sort of memories have you been seeing? Any really bad ones?" She had initially thought that he had been having nightmares, but having them throughout the night was very odd. Perhaps he had some traumatic memories that had been triggered by something in the house?

Naruto grimaced, "Yeah, but…they're not _my_ memories." He really hoped she didn't hit him for making up stuff to her. While he wasn't sure whether or not she had learned Baa-chan's super strength technique, it wouldn't do to make her angry for wasting her time. "I've…I've been seeing things that Jiji knows, even some things that the Second did…"

"You mean transferred memories?"

He glanced at her, completely surprised that she wasn't thinking he was pulling her leg. "Eh?"

She smiled at his confusion, but there wasn't anything mocking about it. "Tsunade-sama mentioned something like that in one of her lessons. It was discovered that memories could be transferred from one person to another during the Third Great Ninja War; in fact, Hatake-san was one of the cases we studied during that lesson."

He blinked, "Kakashi-sensei? How does he fit into all this?" Inwardly, he was hoping beyond hope that Hinata could tell him how to stop the memories from playing out. There were some things he really didn't want to know about the Hokage.

She relaxed against the wall, watching the sun rise from her position. They had been conversing for about five minutes, but the sunlight had already grown several times brighter than before. "Yes, Kakashi-san has gone through something like this before. Tsunade-sama said that some of Obito's memories and mannerisms had been captured and stored within his Sharingan, something that I believe you've witnessed before."

Naruto nodded, earning another smile from her. "From what she told our class, the memories either get integrated within your mind or are subconsciously deemed 'unimportant' and forgotten. Unfortunately, the only advice I have would be for you to try and get past them. The only other means she talked about involved a Yamanaka accidentally taking away a piece of his target's memories, which led to him beheading himself just to stop the memory dreams, but I don't see you doing something like that."

Naruto shook his head vehemently, the thought of suicide leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He had never been one to run away from his problems, and suicide was what he considered to be a very cowardly move. "Hell no," he declared.

Hinata nodded in agreement, "Hai, it wouldn't be you if you didn't face this head on." She smiled at him once again, "Thank you for opening up to me, Naruto-kun. I'm glad I was able to help you out with your problem, even if it wasn't much."

"No, no, you've been a big help! If I hadn't asked you, I wouldn't have known anything about all this." Naruto was quick to let his gratefulness show. "I'm glad you were here to help me with this."

This time, Hinata couldn't deny the blush that spread over her cheeks. "A-Anyway, what are we going to do now?" She bit her lip worriedly as she glanced at him, "We still know nothing about this place, and the language is totally different from ours."

Naruto grimaced, "About that…I actually had something in mind to help us out somewhat." He swallowed the lump in his throat. Really, he couldn't just keep dancing around this issue. When Hinata cocked her head at him, he began to explain, "One of the Rinnegan's powers is the ability to read the mind of any target through the Human Path. I don't really understand, but I feel like I could pull it off if I get a chance to use it."

Naruto took in a breath, gearing himself for what he was about to reveal. "The thing is…this jutsu inevitably kills the target, because to read their minds I'd have to pull out the soul of the target. I know we need to do all we can to survive, but…"

"You don't think taking someone's life so casually is how we should go about it, huh?" She could see where he was coming from; was it right to take someone's life just to facilitate their interests? Tsunade-sama had told her once before, during one of the rare times she had a one-on-one session, that Naruto had inherited Jiraiya's dream of peace. As such, killing was something Naruto had most likely grown adverse to.

However, they were shinobi. Deception, death and espionage were their calling cards. Even though she had a strong belief that Naruto would help bring peace, she couldn't really admit that it would occur before he died. Kurenai-sensei had killed to protect them during their Genin days. ANBU killed because they had been ordered to by the Hokage.

To shinobi, killing wasn't that big of an issue.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gave him another smile. "You'll find a way. I know it."

* * *

Frederick Chase sighed heavily as he parked his car. This was rapidly becoming a usual occurrence, something he hadn't wanted. Grumbling to himself, he stepped out and locked the doors before heading towards the modest house he lived in.

Fishing in his pockets for the keys, he idly wondered what to have for lunch. Should he order some food? His mother had left him some recipes to try out, and it wouldn't hurt to do a little experimentation in the kitchen.

When the lock clicked, he swung open the door and stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, he turned to head towards the kitchen but damn near screamed his head off.

A strange, creepy looking man was standing before him. His face was fixed in a blank expression, one that he had seen in a few movies he watched. Before he could open his mouth to scream, he was paralyzed by an overwhelming fear. The demonic eyes rotated slowly, further driving his fear to horror.

"Gomenasai."

The hand reached towards him.

* * *

Several kilometers away, an extremely fat woman in a denim dress stood on a bridge. Even as she stared out towards the north, she was also wondering why those three had approached her. Even though Zeus had indeed left her and her children as a challenge to future heroes, it was always her stumbling unto those pesky demigods, not her actively searching them out.

At her side, a fearsome looking chihuahua growled menacingly.

"That's alright, Sonny. We can kill them the minute we find them, but until then it would be best to not attract any unsavory people here."

She grinned widely, displaying a row of shark teeth. Even as the winds blew past, she could already catch the faintest whiff of a scent. Her grin, impossibly as it sounded, stretched further.

Books. Weaves. A spear. Arrogance.

There was a child of Athena nearby. Ooh, she hadn't had Athena's spawn in so long…

"Come along, Sonny. Clortho doesn't like it when we take our time."

* * *

**A/N: Freedom always tastes best after exams, yet is the worst thing when you're on vacation. How interesting.**

**Hope you like the twist I made with Indra. To be honest, I never really understood why not being named Hagoromo's successor made him butthurt enough to attack his brother, who Hagoromo said he respected and loved, and why Asura also retaliated despite being the one to value bonds. Unless Asura was a dick about it. Soo…like it?**

**Next fic to be updated will be 'Immortal Transcendent', then I'll work on 'Legacy of the Bijuu' and 'Demon King'. I'll try and do this before January comes around.**

**Read and review! Can we aim for a hundred?!**

**MaelstromBankai**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Hinata frowned to herself as she stared at the corpse. Despite having heard of it during the Pein Invasion, as Kiba had taken to calling it, she still found it worrying and incredible that the Rinnegan had an ability like this. Even as she searched as hard as she could, she just couldn't detect any possible hints that the man had died as a result of external forces.

It really was like his body gave out for no reason…well, to anyone who didn't know of Naruto's new ability.

Which was a problem…well, not really a _big_ problem, but still one that could still hamper their movements. With the little she had seen as she walked around the house, the people of this world were far, _far_ more technologically advanced than those in the Elemental Nations. Without the ability to mold chakra, it seemed they had instead used technology to make their lives easier and more comfortable to live.

While that was an interesting discovery, it also gave credit to the thought that such advancements would also be made in the health industry. Back in the Konoha, there had been talk of new equipment being shipped to them by the Daimyo of Haru no Kuni which was said to totally revolutionize the medical industry. While she didn't know how far the gap was between technology here and in the Elemental Nations, it was always best to be paranoid and assume that the technology here was superior.

As such, making the man's death seem natural was a must.

Her eyes narrowed as she thought, her Byakugan piercing through the clothes, flesh and skin of the corpse and giving her a vivid image of his coronary arteries. Tsunade-sama had gone over heart attacks with them during the first few weeks of her teaching sessions, saying that even though most shinobi didn't suffer from them it would be beneficial for them to know, since there were some cases of ninja who fell victim to it.

She couldn't recall everything she had said about heart attacks, but she did remember that they could also be caused by a spasm of a coronary artery. During a coronary spasm, the coronary arteries spasm on and off, reducing bloody supply to the heart muscle. The thing about a coronary spasm was that it could happen at rest, and even in people without significant coronary artery disease.

"Hinata," she didn't turn about, still focused on examining the man's coronary arteries, but she gave the Kage Bunshin a nod to show she was listening, "Boss is heading outside to get some supplies before the departure, and he wants to know if you want him to get any particular type of clothes."

She blinked, wondering what she was supposed to say. Since they were trying to stay inconspicuous, casual clothing would be preferable. Anything that resembled their usual attire might attract attention to them, something they didn't really want right now. "Please let Naruto-kun know that I'd like some clothes with cool colors, baggy ones if he doesn't mind."

The clone saluted, which was honestly rather ridiculous with his new features, and dispelled, leaving her with the corpse. With a sigh, Hinata went back to examining Frederick Chase.

Honestly, she was very confused and worried about their situation. Ever since she had woken up, she had noticed the changes that both she and Naruto were displaying, and she wasn't sure what exactly was causing them…on her end, at least.

After Sasuke arrived, there had been a period where the Allied Forces had been making a headway into defeating the Uchiha and the Juubi. They weren't exactly winning, mind you, but there was a feeling of hope that strengthened as they continued to fight.

When Obito suddenly appeared, battered and bleeding with a hole in his gut, things took a turn for the worst. Madara managed to fully revive himself using the power of the Rinnegan, bringing him one step closer to his plan of becoming the Jinchuuriki of the Juubi. From then on, that hope they held dearly was torn from their grips.

Madara had hidden a lot more of his skills than anyone really expected. Upon his revival, he immediately went on the offensive; smashing a path through various Shinobi with a force that was incomprehensible for any man to have, he immediately headed for the Bijuu. While she and two other units were preoccupied with the sudden appearance of a White Zetsu using Mokuton, Madara had quickly dealt with most of the opposition and managed to seal all the Bijuu into the Gedo Mazo.

From what Naruto had told her, she could hazard a guess as to what happened after that.

Focusing on the body once more, she gathered chakra to the tips of her fingers. Usually she'd mold chakra to coat her entire hands, but that was wasteful for what she was about to do. Stilling any unnecessary movements, she carefully used her Jyuuken (Gentle Fist) to tap the coronary arteries and manipulate them to resemble arteries that had undergone coronary spasms. As she was doing so, she added another odd change that she noticed; the motions she was going through weren't the same ones she had learned, yet there was an ease that came with countless hours of practice.

Naruto's words about seeing memories that weren't his reverberated in her mind. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who had been affected…

But was that really what she was experiencing? Naruto had seen those memories during sleep, yet she had soundly slept through the night without even a lick of a dream. Was that because she had undergone something different? Or was it that the trigger for the memories differed from that of Naruto's trigger?

Checking once again, Hinata's frown remained even as she determined that the corpse could be left alone. Rising to her feet, she walked out of the bedroom and headed towards the room Naruto had been holed up in throughout the night.

She might not be of much help to Naruto right now, but she was confident that she could at least try and find out what was happening to them.

* * *

Naruto grunted as he walked through the crowded streets, bumping awkwardly into complete strangers as he went. It was a very odd experience watching hundreds, if not thousands, of people walking about the streets with an ease on par with him snapping a twig. Back in Konoha, the civilians and retired shinobi usually had a slower gait and tended to take in the scenery whenever Shinobi passed by or performed a few exhibitions.

He muttered an apology as he bumped into another person, though the man just gave him a quick nod and went on his way. Spotting a bench three feet away, Naruto instantly made a bee-line towards it and sat down heavily.

Running his hands through his now raven locks, courtesy of his beloved transformation jutsu, his usual cerulean eyes took in the busy streets with slight wonder.

Wherever this place was, it was certainly breathtaking in its own way; while Naruto doubted he would ever come across a place more beautiful and inviting as Konoha, he could admit that the city he and Hinata had wound up in was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Still though…

He winced as a name flashed in his mind, bright and clear for a second before they faded into obscurity.

It was a damn chore making his way through the area in the crowd; every time he came across something familiar to Chase, certain memories would whisper in his head. It was very disorienting to encounter things that were familiar, yet unfamiliar, to him.

A release of memories relayed Hinata's message to him, and he rubbed his forehead lightly. He had seen a clothing store along the street, so it would be best to go there instead of wandering about the city for who knows how long.

Rising to his feet once more, he began walking in the opposite direction he had come from. Hopefully he'd be done in a few minutes.

That was when he caught sight of the two monsters.

The first one was large, about as big as Akamaru, and the more eye-catching of the two; it had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, a blood-caked mane, and a ten-foot-long diamondback snake-headed tail which grew out of its shaggy behind. It growled at several pedestrians as it walked by, with the people oblivious to its presence yet giving it a wide berth.

The beast's companion, on the other hand, looked like she had been a failed experiment of Orochimaru's. She had a human head, but a snake-like body. Her tongue was forked and she had fangs instead of teeth. Her skin and eyes also resembled a reptile's as her eyes were bright green and her skin was scaly.

Naruto stiffened. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up, a perfect chance to observe those monsters up close.

Keeping an eye out for the monstrous duo, he slipped into a nearby alley and formed two Kage Bunshin. The first one, already knowing its task, took to the rooftops and began tailing the targets from above. The second clone, however, made a quick transformation into Frederick Chase and Naruto handed over the wallet he had taken. "Make sure you get as many supplies as you can, and try not to attract any attention," he instructed. "Also, don't forget to get some clothes for Hinata."

The clone saluted sharply. "Roger that, boss!"

With the decision made, both clone and original went their separate ways.

Naruto walked quickly as he tailed the monsters from the streets, though the snake-woman's grotesque length made it easy for his eyes to keep track of them. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, the shinobi slipped into and vanished within the sea of people.

* * *

Near the center of the floating paradise of Olympus was the main hearth, the origin of fire of the gods. The tongues of the vibrant red flames licked the bottom of the sky as the gods chatted and dined around it almost everyday. It was the one place where harmony was kept. A place for familial bonding, the Goddess of the Hearth, Lady Hestia, was almost always tending to the flames, and many of the Olympians would sit along the warm glow and chat with the attentive goddess.

In a unique twist, the one seeking counsel and someone to talk to was the Goddess of Wisdom herself. It certainly was a surprise for Hestia, as Athena rarely required advice. Still, she was only too happy to help the Wisdom Goddess with any issues she might have.

"So, what seems to be troubling you? You've been sulking around lately." Hestia glanced at Athena, who was staring at the flames of the hearth. A moment went by with no response. "Athena?"

Athena started, shaken out of her thoughts by Hestia's words, and sighed. "Forgive me, Hestia. There's been a lot on my mind recently."

"Anything you wish to talk about?"

Athena hesitated, just for a moment, before she nodded. "Yes...I'd really appreciate it if you could spare a moment."

Smiling happily, the Hearth Goddess gestured to the silver mat beside her. From the perspective of an outsider, the scene of a young girl tending a flame and an adult woman asking her for advice would certainly be an odd one.

After a moment, Athena began to speak. "One of my children, Annabeth Chase, ran away from her home two days ago. Knowing the kind of man Frederick is, I doubt the issues that drove her away are as serious as she believes them to be."

Hestia hummed in agreement; most demigods she had encountered all left their homes at a young age, when their mental development was still ongoing. "What are you going to do then? Zeus's decree prevents us from interfering, but you have your ways of finding loopholes don't you?"

Athena smiled briefly, before the frown returned. "Yes. I've already sent someone to guide her to Camp Half-Blood...I just need to make a few other preparations in case nothing goes according to plan. Do you mind if I check up on her now?"

Hestia waved her approval, "Go ahead."

With a flick of her hand, the flames of the hearth flickered before forming into the live image of Annabeth's location...

* * *

Naruto grimaced as he cradled the trembling young girl in his arms. He hadn't gotten a good look at her, but the blonde hair and grey eyes had sparked something within. Memories of the girl, Annabeth, played quickly the more he looked at her: coming home one night to see her at his doorstep, the difficulties that came with raising a child he still doubted was his, and a slew of other memories.

He had been following the two for a good hour when they had come across an abandoned warehouse. From the excited noises the lion mutant had made, it seemed like this was the purpose of their journey. He and his clone had snuck in through the shadows, not sure what to expect yet on guard just to be sure.

The minute he had seen the dirty little girl, quivering and hiding unsuccessfully behind some machines, he had simply reacted. Blazing past the monsters, smashing them away as he passed, he scooped the little girl and held her to himself.

A beastly growl forced his attention back to the two monsters. Glancing back, he quickly hopped back to avoid the flying spit that was flung at him. Call it a gut feeling, but he was more than willing to bet that it was harmful to his health.

"You...what are you?" The snake-woman hissed at him. Her voice was just as slimy as Orochimaru's, making him tense. "No ordinary mortal can see through the Mist." The mismatched creature growled in response, all of its heads focused entirely on him and the child he carried.

Rather than respond verbally, Naruto focused chakra into his left eye. Glaring at them as the chakra within tensed, he nonchalantly flipped them off. "Me? I'm just a little brat. Amaterasu."

* * *

The two goddesses watched, one with surprise and the other with disbelief, as black flames materialized before the Chimera and consumed it.

"Athena..." Hestia kept her eyes on the flames as she asked, "Was this the person you sent after your daughter?"

"No..." Athena narrowed her eyes as she watched the man make a fist. A second later, a huge ethereal purple arm appeared and smashed the Chimera against the floor. The black flames dispersed, revealing the blackened and charred flesh of Echidna's creation.

The arm then grabbed the repulsive monster herself, wrapping its large arm around her large frame, and then smacked Echidna against the Chimera. Unfortunately, the flames of the Hearth weren't giving them any audio, something that had never happened before, so they could only guess how hard the arm must have been squeezing.

There was a brief struggle, but the hand suddenly tightened and Echidna exploded into a shower of golden dust.

…

"Athena-" Hestia turned, only to see that the Wisdom Goddess had disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY!**

**Seriously, you wouldn't believe how lazy I got this past week; the moment I finished my last paper, all I did was traverse the Internet in search of joy, feels and WTF weird...and I did. Unfortunately, that made me very 'reluctant' to write anything lately. **

**Now, since this chapter was really short, I'm going to make the next chapter much longer than I usually do...but that means it will take longer for it to come out. After this is uploaded, I'll begin working on 'Twisted Love' (which I have been planning and thinking about for most of this week actually) and 'The Other Transcendent', which is easily rising to be one of my most popular fics...and it hasn't even hit chapter 4 yet.**

**Quick note: There will be a number of Olympians and Titans who will regularly interact with our stranded shinobi. The first one, which was so blatant here, is Athena. Can you guess who the others could be?**

**Finally...Uchiha motherfucking Sasuke is 'Father of the Year'. Kishimoto is turning his troll game on with Gaiden...and I fucking love it. The last chapter had me laughing with sheer joy for most of the day; even if it turns out to be a misunderstanding, I'll still treasure the moment that Sarada discovers that Karin is her 'mother'.**

**Read and Review!**

**MaelstromBankai.**


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